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Office of Enrollment Management

Step 4 - Federal Verification

*Please Note: Not all students will be required to complete this step.  Please view your outstanding requirements via Applicant Status Page (prospective students) or MyNova (current students and students who are offered admission and deposit) to determine if you have been selected for the federal verification process.

When a student completes the FAFSA, the United States Department of Education via the Central Processor may select the student for a process called verification. Verification is a requirement of the US Department of Education and is the process of confirming the data submitted on the FAFSA for consideration of the various Federal Title IV Funds, including the Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG Grant, and Federal Direct Loans.

If you are selected for the verification process, you will need to complete additional requirements such as the Verification Worksheet and provide your actual tax data on the FAFSA through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or by submitting an IRS Tax Return Transcript.

Any parent(s)/stepparent, or independent student who did NOT file a tax return must obtain a Verification of Non-Filing Letter from the IRS and submit it to our office. A student will see the requirements listed on their Applicant Status Page or MyNova account if they have been selected for this process.

Availability of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and IRS Tax Return Transcripts

Per the IRS, "The method you used to file your Federal Income Tax Return, by mail or electronically, and whether you have a refund or balance due, affects your current year transcript availability."

Please click on the button below to view the chart provided by the IRS which outlines availability of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and Tax Return Transcripts.

When a tax return filer...

If tax return filed electronically...

If tax return is filed manually...

Has no amount owed to the IRS or has an expected refund at the time their tax return was submitted to the IRS
  • Generally tax returns are accepted by the IRS within a day or two of the return having been electronically filed with the IRS.
  • In most cases, IRS DRT is available and an IRS Tax Return Transcript may be requested within 2-3 weeks after the return has been accepted by the IRS.
  • Generally tax returns are accepted by the IRS when the tax return is received by the IRS.
  • In most cases, IRS DRT is available and an IRS Tax Return Transcript may be requested within 6 - 8 weeks after the tax return has been accepted by the IRS.

Has an amount owed to the IRS and makes a full payment on that amount at the time their tax return was submitted to the IRS
  • Generally tax returns are accepted by the IRS within a day or two of the return having been electronically filed with the IRS.
  • In most cases, IRS DRT is available and an IRS Tax Return Transcript may be requested within 2-3 weeks after the return has been accepted by the IRS.
  • IRS will process the tax return in June.
  • In most cases, IRS DRT is available and an IRS Tax Return Transcript may be requested within 2-3 weeks after the tax return has been processed by the IRS.

Has an amount owed and subsequent to submitting their tax return to the IRS, pays the full amount due
  • Generally tax returns are accepted by the IRS within a day or two of the return having been electronically filed with the IRS.
  • In most cases, IRS DRT is available and an IRS Tax Return Transcript may be requested within 2-3 weeks after the return has been accepted by the IRS.
  • IRS will process the tax return in June.
  • In most cases, IRS DRT is available and an IRS Tax Return Transcript may be requested within 2-3 weeks after the tax return has been processed by the IRS.

At the time their tax return was submitted to the IRS, has an amount owed and has not paid in full.
  • Generally tax returns are accepted by the IRS within a day or two of the return having been electronically filed with the IRS. However, IRS will not process the return until May.
  • In most cases, IRS DRT is available and an IRS Tax Return Transcript may be requested within 2-3 weeks after the return has been processed in May.
  • IRS will process the tax return in June.
  • In most cases, IRS DRT is available and an IRS Tax Return Transcript may be requested within 2-3 weeks after the tax return has been processed by the IRS.

Keep in mind that an amended return or identity theft will delay access to tax information. When an amended return is involved, it generally takes an additional 12 weeks for the tax information to be available. If identity theft occurs, access to this information generally occurs 8-11 weeks after the IRS has received the tax return information; however, resolution of IRS-related identity theft can take up to 180 days.

The IRS continues to encourage that tax transcripts be requested via the web at www.IRS.gov or by mail.  

IRS Data Retrieval Tool

The US Department of Education has recently enhanced the FAFSA filing process to allow you and your parent(s)/stepparent to retrieve tax data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and upload the filed Federal Tax Return data directly to your FAFSA through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. We strongly encourage you to use this tool during the initial filing or when submitting corrections to your FAFSA. 

Please select the appropriate Academic Year listed below to view the step by step instructions.

Please note that you will be utilizing the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer your 2021 Tax Data onto the FAFSA.

Eligibility

You and your parents are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool on the studentaid.gov website if you:

  • Filed your federal tax return with the IRS.  You can only use the tool if you do not owe taxes, or have submitted payment for your taxes to the IRS. 
  • Have a valid social security number.
  • Have a Federal FSA Username and Password (if you do not have this information, you will be given the option to apply for one)

You and your parents are not eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool if:

  • Your marital status changed after December 31, 2021.
  • You are Married but filed your Federal Income Tax Returns with the Filing Status of Married Filing Separately or Head of Household.
  • You filed a Puerto Rico or foreign tax return.
  • You filed a tax return using a Tax ID Number (TIN).
  • The home address on the FAFSA does not match the address on the tax return.

If any of the above circumstances apply, you will need to obtain your 2020 IRS Tax Return Transcript and submit a copy to IDOC.   

Please note that signed copies of your 2021 federal tax returns, along with all schedules and W-2 forms, must still be submitted directly to IDOC as part of Villanova’s financial aid application process. View Step 3 of the Financial Aid Process for instructions.

The Process

1. Visit studentaid.gov and click “Login”, enter the student's personal information, then click on “Make FAFSA Corrections”. Once in the FAFSA, navigate to the "Financial Information" tab, where the option to use the tool will display for eligible students and parents.  Make sure that you have corrected your filing status from "Will File" to "Already Completed" to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

2. You must ensure that the name and address of the FIRST PERSON LISTED on a joint tax return is the same on the FAFSA as it shows on the tax return.  When inputting your information on the IRS' website, you must enter your name and address EXACTLY as it appears on your tax return, including all punctuations, abbreviations, spacing, and spellings.

3. When you have finished completing the IRS Data Retrieval Tool process, please be sure to re-sign and re-submit the FAFSA. The IRS Data Retrieval process will remain incomplete without this important final step being completed.  In addition, you must NOT change any information that was transferred from the IRS otherwise the FAFSA will be considered invalid and consequently you will then be required to submit the 2021 IRS Tax Return Transcripts.

Obtain an IRS Tax Return Transcript or Verification of Non-Filing Letter

Tax Filers: If you and/or your parent(s)/stepparent are not eligible or choose not to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when updating your FAFSA, the US Department of Education requires our office to collect a certified tax return transcript processed by the IRS. Please note that parents/stepparent who are married but filing separately must submit 2 separate IRS tax return transcripts. Transcripts are not required for those filing a foreign or Puerto Rican tax return IF there is a fee to obtain the transcripts.  If you have an Amended Tax Return, you will need to submit a signed copy of the 1040X AND an IRS Tax Return Transcript.

Non-Tax Filers: If your parent(s)/stepparent did not file a tax return, you are required to submit an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter, which provides proof that the IRS has no record of a filed Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ for the year you requested.  Independent students who did not file a tax return are also required to submit an IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter from the IRS.

There are three ways to request your Tax Return Transcript: by phone, online, or by mail. For tax filers, please make sure you request a Tax Return Transcript. Do not request a Tax Account Transcript or Record of Account because they cannot be used for financial aid verification purposes.  For Non-Tax Filers, please make sure you request a Verification of Non-Filing Letter.

There are only two ways to request your Verification of Non-Filing Letter: online or by mail.

Please be advised that our office cannot verify your financial aid eligibility without an IRS Tax Return Transcript or the IRS Data Retrieval Tool for tax filers or the Verification of Non-Filing Letter for non-tax filers.

Please select the appropriate Academic Year listed below to view the step by step instructions.

Please note that you will be requesting a copy of your 2021 IRS Tax Return Transcript or Verification of Non-Filing Letter.

To Obtain a Tax Return Transcript or Verification of Non-Filing Letter Online

  • Go to http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript
  • Click "Get Transcript Online"
  • Click "Create An Account," complete the required 6 steps to create your profile
  • For Tax Filers: select "Return Transcript" for the 2021 Tax Year
  • For Non-Tax Filers: select "Verification of Non-Filing Letter" for the 2021 Tax Year
  • Print out Transcript or Letter

Note: Non-Tax Filers with limited or no credit history may not be able to utilize the online tool to request the Verification of Non-Filing Letter. If you are unable to submit the request online you will have to submit the request by using the 4506-T Form.

To Obtain a Tax Return Transcript by Phone

  • Call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946 (7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.).
  • Tax filers must follow prompts to enter their Social Security Number and the numbers of their street address. Generally, these will be the numbers of the street address that were listed on the latest tax return filed. However, if an address change has been completed through the U.S. Postal Service, the IRS may have the updated address on file.
  • Select "Option 2" to request an IRS Tax Return Transcript, and then enter the 2021 Tax Year.
  • If successfully validated, tax filers can expect to receive a paper IRS Tax Return Transcript at the address that was used in their telephone request within 5 to 10 days from the time the IRS receives the request.
  • IRS Tax Return Transcripts requested by telephone cannot be sent directly to a third party by the IRS.
  • You are NOT able to request a Verification of Non-Filing from the IRS by phone.  You must submit the request either through the online process or by mail.

To Obtain a Tax Return Transcript or Verification of Non-Filing Letter by Mail

  • Tax Filers: Complete Form 4506T-EZ (Request for Transcript of Tax Return).
  • Non-Tax Filers: Complete Form 4506-T (Request for Verification of Non-Filing Letter).  Make sure you check off the box for number 7.
  • Form 4506T-EZ and 4506-T is available online.
  • Mail or fax the completed IRS Form to the appropriate address (or fax number) provided on page 2 of Form 4506T-EZ or 4506T.
  • Your transcript(s) will be mailed within 5 to 10 days from the IRS.

 

 

<<Back to Step 3 || On to Step 5>>

Six Easy Steps!

Click on each link to proceed to the next step in the application process.

Step 1: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Step 2: CSS Profile Form

Step 3: Submitting Tax Forms and W-2s

Step 4 - Federal Verification

Step 5: Receiving Your Aid Eligibility Notice

Step 6: Finishing up